Whatever Happened to ...

SIMON (not Peter) AND JUDAS (not Iscariot)

Adult Bible Class May 8, 2005 Pastor Michael Newman

HOW DO YOU CHANGE? Intro: How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb? The craving for change that I see in ministry. One of the greatest Mothers Day gifts could very well be a change in your life. Kids, husbands, yourself! The questions is, "How do you change?" How do ingrained habits come to an end? How can you get rid of old reactions and defense mechanisms? How do you stop doing the things that are fouling up your life and how do you start doing the things that will really help you? How do you change?

Do You Want To? Maybe a better question to ask is: "Do you want to change?" Isnt it true that the areas of life that need the most change are the ones that you really dont want to change? There are certain sins you would never like to do. So you probably dont. But there are others that you like. You may regret them. You may wish you didnt do them, but at the time, you like them. Youre serving yourself, getting some kind of payoff, and doing something that your heart is craving. I met a homeless man in my previous home town who, as I drove him to a counseling center, said to me, "You know, its great to be homeless in this town!" This man had drug and alcohol issues, along with other challenges. But the bottom line was that he didnt want to change. He said, "The police dont bother you that much. You can sleep without being interrupted. Its a great place to be homeless."

Simon and Judas Zealots who needed to change If theres anyone who needed to change among the disciples, it had to be the two men were looking at today: Simon (not Peter) and Judas (not Iscariot). Simon is called "Simon the Zealot" and Judas, son of James, is also called "Thaddaeus." Simon, Judas, James son of Alphaeus, and Judas Iscariot are always grouped together. Because of Simons designation, Judas association with the Zealot crowd, and some literature that connects Thaddaeus with this group, it is believed that these four men were Zealots. What is a Zealot? It was a Jewish party, a group that was one of the last to emerge. Youre familiar

with Pharisees and Saducees. Zealots were another subgroup of the Jewish people. The Zealots began as a result of two rebellions by Judas the Galilean in 4 B.C. and at the time Quirinius was governor as we hear in Luke 2. Judas the Galilean revolted against the Roman rule during that time, finally being put to death. His death gave birth to this group called the Zealots. William Barclay summarized the Zealots by saying they were "fanatical Jewish patriots who were zealous for the Law and bitter haters of foreign power" (p.95). Josephus said, "Zealots, for that was the name those reckless persons went by, as if they were Zealous in good practices, and were not rather extravagant and reckless in the worst actions." Today we would call them terrorists. They were assassins, murderers, and terror experts who began to kill their own people who had any indication of sympathies toward Rome. They even killed their own families and themselves as Jerusalem fell in 70 A.D. So Jesus reached out to them. He called them to be disciples. More than that, He appointed them to be apostles. What if Osama Bin Laden became an evangelical pastor? Thats about what happened to Simon and Thaddaeus (Judas). Look at . There are Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James with the disciples, joining in prayer. More to the point, there is Matthew the tax collector and Roman sympathizer still at their side. How did this radical change happen? And how can change happen in your life? Lets take a look.

SPOT THE SIGNALS First, you have to spot the signals. Pain may be a signal that change is needed in your life. It may be physical pain or illness, emotional torment, family malfunction, or overall stress. Conflict may be a signal that change is needed in your life. Are you at odds with family members? Are you getting angry a lot? Do relationships crumble easily? Are people driven away from you? Valid criticism or advice may be pointing you in the direction of change. Some one said to me that your best critics may just be your best critics. In other words, sometimes you have to listen to what people say. A family member may have a serious talk with you. A parent or spouse may say something. Is there truth in it? Do you need to listen this time? The Holy Spirit may prompt you toward change. You may hear a sermon that you feel was meant just for you. You may sense leadership from God from a combination of indicators. You may be experiencing tremendous discomfort in your life. Sometimes that is the Spirit leading you to change. Somehow Simon and Judas the Zealots spotted the signals. They developed the awareness that change was needed in their lives. They got it! We know thats true because they switched leaders. shows that they were with Jesus disciples then apostles. If you have a Rabbinic teacher, a leader, you just dont hop around from one to another. Clearly Simon and Judas left their Zealot leader and started to follow Jesus. They spotted the signals that change was needed.

A NEW CROWD Lets look at . Once you spot the signals, you may need to take some very practical steps of change. The first one is that you may need a new crowd. These Zealots were hanging with different people. They were with fellow listeners of Jesus. In order to change, you may need to be with different people people who arent so negative, people who dont have destructive habits, people who arent abusive, people who do not put down their husbands or wives, people who help lead you to a God-pleasing life. You may need to get a new job. Its very possible that, when you transition to a new crowd, you may have to be alone for a while a gap between friends or a relationship. Your life change may depend on getting a new crowd. This happens at strategic times in your life times that you may want to take as an opportunity. Changing schools, moving, changing jobs, times of illness, starting a new activity. All of those times may be strategic times to change.

NEW BEHAVIOR If you want to change, you may have to focus on having new behavior. You may just have to act differently. Check out . This is the one place we hear from our otherwise silent Zealots its Judas (Thaddaeus) speaking. Judas asked a question that was rooted in his old self the "conquer the Roman world" mindset. Jesus answered the question directing Judas to love and obedience new behavior. Love and obedience do not a Zealot make, but they would make a new person out of Judas, one who didnt live for a cause, but who lived with God inside him! Sometimes change happens when you just start acting differently. You do what youre supposed to do even if you dont feel like doing it. You might say, "But that would make me a hypocrite." No. A hypocrite does what he or she DOESNT what to do. Real change means that you do what you WANT to do even though you dont feel like it. Youve just got to practice. Its like learning a golf swing. A golf swing feels like one of the most unnatural and awkward things to do. Change will fee that way at first. Youre not faking it; youre growing into it just like Jesus was growing Judas into love and obedience.

NEW SUPPORT A new crowd helps change. New behavior gets you on the road to change. You may also need new support. Zealots were not accountability kinds of guys. They were secret loners who schemed for their political motives. But Jesus gave a new paradigm one of mutual support. Take a look at . Its two by two. Why? Because a new beginning, change needs support in an open and known context. You may know from weddings. What is it saying about our basic need as human beings? Being alone can be dangerous. Im not talking about healthy solitude. Im talking about isolation.

There is a story about Simon the Zealot told in an ancient "Apostolic History." He and Jude (from the New Testament book) went to Persia to preach. They met two magicians who opposed them here. Simon and Jude defeated these magicians in a contest, but even though the king of the land told the two disciples that they could kill the magicians, the disciples refused. Instead of reacting with gratitude, the magicians turned the crowds against Simon and Jude. The magicians gathered a mob to kill the disciples, but instead of fleeing, Simon and Jude stayed together and witnessed to the crowd. Both were finally killed. Notice that Simon learned to work together with someone else. He had support and accountability. You may need to find someone who can support you and help you stay true to your new and changed life.

NEW GOALS Maybe you need to change just a little at a time over a long period of time. Your key to change may be to focus on some new goals. How often do you want to change, but you get overwhelmed by all that has to be done? Notice what was happening in . The disciples were simply praying. But they kept up the small things all the way through the resurrection of Jesus. These days we talk about big goals and dreams, vision, radical changes. Maybe your goals have to be smaller. Flowers for your wife once a week. Exercise only two times a week. Go on one special weekend once a year. Share whats going on at dinner in the evenings. Be home on a consistent evening! Read the Bible one day in addition to Sundays. Maybe you have to have small goals that will keep going for the long haul.

A NEW HISTORY Finally, youll need to realize that youre beginning a new history. Take a look at . It took a while for Simon and Judas to change. Judas, legend has it, was also martyred as he did mission work around present day Iraq. But the change was radical. William Barclay said, "If Matthew and Simon could live at peace within the apostolic band, then there is no breach between men which cannot be healed when men love Christ." That is the key to change loving Christ, being loved by Him. Having Him truly live in you. Then youve got to live with the change and let it become the new you. Where does this happen most? As you bring your life to the Word, worship, communion, and prayer. Let your change be the practical application of all you hear. I know a man who experienced Christs change. Marty Absent Curmudgeon to husband and grandpa, teacher and visionary church leader. How did it happen? Marty shrugged his shoulders and gave credit to His loving Savior.